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Medicaid policy changes in mental health care and their effect on mental health outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2007

Alison Evans Cuellar
Affiliation:
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, USA
Sara Markowitz
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, Rutgers University and National Bureau of Economic Research, USA

Abstract

In recent years, Medicaid has experienced a dramatic increase in spending on prescription drugs in general and psychotropic medications in particular. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of increased Medicaid spending on psychotropic drugs on improving the mental health and well-being of participants at the population level. Specifically, we study the effect on outcomes that are strongly correlated with mood disorders, including depression and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder, controlling for concomitant increases in Medicaid eligibility thresholds and expansion into managed care for mental health services. Knowledge of the effects of changes in the Medicaid program is crucial to policymakers as they consider implementing and expanding mental health services. Our results show that increased spending on antidepressants and stimulants are associated with improvements in some outcomes, but not in others.

Type
Articles
Copyright
© 2007 Cambridge University Press

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